The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-06-15
Seletteo Storp.
Friend Decker's Reward.

Erenu Decker, as ne IOlueu up MS
spectacles and replaced them in their
tin case, cor else my sight isn't what
it used to be. Welladay, one can't ex-
pect to be young always. Is it thee,
Leah? did not look for thee so SOON"
Leah Decker came into the room like
breezy young whirlwind. She had
none of the repose of manner which is
at present so much in vogue. Born
and bred a Quakeress, there was moth
ing of the Quakeress about her except
her quaint Scripture name.
eyes, it's me-" said Leah, shortly.
"Did thee go to Friend Anastasia's?"
gently inquired the old man, readiust-
ing the big pine logs so that they should
burn brighter for Leah's benefit.
go yes, went there"
81 hope she is better of her rheu-
matism."
% Yes, she is better. But-but-she
will not buy the apples, father. Mean,
stingy old thing!" cried Leah, wrath
fully, flinging her coal-scuttle bonnet
on the table. "She says she can buy
all she wants at fifty cents a barrel of
old Jacob Joyce. So she can, perhaps
wretched, knurly, wormy knots, not fit
for pigs! Ours are apples. She says
thee asks an eXorbitant price"
Friend Decker slowly shook his head
"Friend Anastasia is under a misap-
prehension," said he. eighty cents
barrel is what they are paying at the
see such beautiful, rare-colored fruit
ground into baleful spirits to set mems
brains on fire."
much she would stop to think of
that" said Leah, still ruflled.
1" am sorry" said Friend Decker,
mildly. Z" need the money much, and
l think she would have been better sat
isied with my apples than with Friend
Jacob Joyce's."
"And, after all that" flashed out
Leah, the spirit of indignation rife
within her, " she had the impudence to
ask me for a jar of plum sauce | made.
She says Friend Mary told her how
nice it was and"
"And," quietly interposed her father,
"thee said, hope, that thee would be
glad to oblige her."
"No, / didn't" bluntly answered
Leah. &c said that 1 gathered the
wild plums myself in the Crook wood,
and cooked them after Aunt Mahala' s
recipe, and that there were four jars
and wanted to keep them for thee,
especially since thy health was so poor
and thy appetite so variable"
- am sorry, dear" said Friend
Decker. Friend Anastasia is very
old, and old people are apt to be fanci-
full about trihes. Moreover, she's oul
kinswoman; degree or two removed,
perhaps, but"
"Then why don't she do something
for u.s." flashed out Leah, "besides Civ.
ing us good advice and tormenting us
to mention it, father, but she told me
out-and-out that she had adopted Moses
Sawyer, and that she meant to make
him her heir"
swell, daughter, why should she
not?" composedly questioned the ole
gentleman.
Because he is no relation to her a
all" cried Leah, &C and the property all
came from our great-grandfather Len
nox, thee knows"
"Thee attaches too much importance
to mere dress, Leah" said Friend
Decker. "Thee must study the text o.
the lilies of the field in the Bible: We
shall all be provided for if only we
can have patience to wait
Leah bit her full, red under lip a:
she glanced around the sparsely-fur.
nished room and noticed her fathers
dropping figure and rapidly whitening
head, but she made no reply as she
took up the coarse pile of vests or
which she had been working button
holes for neighboring clothing con
tractor.
Gathers a saint" thought she
" but am not, and | am afraid ] nevel
shall be. | should like to cut off An
astasia Akerly's ears. If every ont
had their rights half of that big Len
noX farm would be ours. She gained
possession of it by the merest lega
bubble, and if father was like any ont
else he would have gone to law about i
long ago and got back his own. AnC
now to see it deliberately willed t.
some one else!"
And Leah's needle flew vindictivel,
in and out of the cloth like a miniatur,
iavelin piercing the heart of an unseeI
enemy.
But the next morning, when Leal
had gone to carry her bundle of vest'
home and get another batch of work
Friend Decker put on his hat and but
toned his great-coat, which was gettin!
worn at the elbows and shiny at tn,
seams.
g 1t is bright, clear morning, albei
a trifle frosty" said he, 81 think
may walk as far as the LennoX farm
without aggravating my cough"
And under his arm he carried nea
parcel.
Old Anastasia Akerly was windin?
blue yarn before her fire when HI
went in. She greeted him not withou
a shadow of suspicion.
Had he come like spy into the enc
my's quarters.
sc l hope thee is well, Friend Anasta
sia," said he. " l have brought thee
jar of my daughters wild plum sauce
Perhaps it may tempt thy appetite"
Anastasia Akerly colored.
81 amt of no consequence" SAT-
she. 81 dunno as / care so mucl
about sweet things. Only there use
to grow wild plum-bush on the hill
at home, and mother used to boil tn
plums with molasses. They were dret
full sour, but there was flavor abou
'em hain't never since tasted. An
when Mary Moore told how good Leah
was, kind o. notioned I'd like tast
o. 'em. But Leah said she hadn't non
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